Nature Mage
Duncan Pile
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Buy NowWhy I wrote this book
I wrote my book out of pure passion. I simply started it one day on instinct and have never looked back. I give much of my spare time to it and am proud to add my voice to the distinguished crowd of fantasy writers. I feel people should read Nature Mage because every single person who has read it and spoken/written to me of it so far has said the same thing: It is a page turner, they love my characters, and can't put it down. This is why most people ready fantasy fiction - to be captivated by a story, a magical world and in the lives of characters they grow to care for deeply. My book consistently does all of those things for its readers.
Synopsis
Gaspi is an ordinary boy, living in the mountain village of Aemon’s Reach, but life, for Gaspi, is forever changed the day magic erupts in him. He discovers he has a powerful gift - he is a Nature Mage, able to control natural forces and creatures and bend them to his will. But Gaspi’s powers have a dark side, and without training they will kill him. He is forced to leave his home and travel to the distant city of Helioport, where the Archmages of the College of Collective Magicks will teach him how to use his powers.
Accompanied by his guardian and his best friends, Gaspi sets off on the long journey to Helioport. The journey is fraught with danger, and Gaspi and his friends discover that there are demonic creatures abroad, intent on finding and killing anyone with magical ability. Beset by danger, Gaspi and his friends must get to the city of magicians, not only so that Gaspi can be trained, but to warn them of the impending danger. As Gaspi struggles to come to terms with his magic, a dark shadow hangs over him. Something or someone is directing the demonic forces, but who, and to what end? He can only hope that his powerful gift will develop in time to make a difference when the time comes.
Reviews
Terry Rountree: “A real page turner. Exciting and intriguing. I very much enjoyed this book. The world created by the author really comes to life through the characters and the language. I genuinely found myself at times unable to put the book down and willing the characters on with genuine care and concern. There are echoes of classic fantasy fiction throughout with such grand themes of good vs. evil, friendship, love and rivalry. I'd certainly recommend this to anyone looking for strong and credible ready made replacement for a certain popular wizarding hero.
Sophie Duffy, a professional reviewer, who was paid to critique the book prior to publication:
Nature Mage is extremely well-written and exciting to read – a page-turner that would appeal to young teenagers, but also to their parents, and potentially to fans of fantasy fiction…The world that the novel is set in is detailed and captivating, and we are thrown into it from the beginning…The author has succeeded in conjuring up a new world with its own games, landscape and people - one of city guards and isolated villages in the mountains, complete with bandits. It is a timeless world that contains archaic aspects but which manages to remain relevant. This is thanks in part to the author’s convincing dialogue and interaction between the characters, who themselves are well-developed and easy to empathise with…The descriptions are well-judged and show a great attention to detail and imaginative thought. There are some very powerful moments throughout the novel, such as the part where Gaspi connects with his magical powers, as well as moments of humour…This blend of accessibility, emotion and action makes for a novel that is easy to read without being simplistic, and one that never drags, but keeps the audience intrigued and involved until the last page. The ending in particular succeeds in maintaining the tension and keeping the reader gripped until the last moment. This is a novel that could have a wide market appeal and would potentially sell well – it is excellently written and the ending keeps the option open for sequels.
About the Author
Duncan Pile was born in 1975 and grew up in Manchester. His early creative interests were expressed through classical music, a passion he pursued at degree level at the University of Nottingham (1993-1996). After graduating, Duncan moved to Hong Kong and spent the next two years travelling around SE Asia, Australia, The Arabian Gulf and Africa.
Duncan returned from his travels with his health depleted by malaria and the onset of Crohn's disease, a condition he suffered with in his twenties until he underwent a major operation, which greatly improved his situation. Since then, he has trained as a Life Coach, something he practices to this day with private clients.
Duncan has always had a love of writing, and in recent years this has taken over from music as the main focus of his creative gifts. He writes in the Orange Tree pub in Nottingham most weekends, and during what remains of his spare time. Since childhood Duncan has had a passion for fantasy fiction, and so it's only right that his first published novel is in that genre. Not one to wait around, Duncan has already written the bulk of the sequel to Nature Mage.
Book info
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Genres
Format
Paperback
304 pages pages
Author
Duncan Pile
Publisher
New Generation Publishing an imprint of Legend Press Ltd
Publication date
7th September 2011
ISBN
9781908248565
